Category: Reports

The Manchester Martyrs.

 

On November 10th 2016, the group was told in vivid detail by Alan Hayhurst about the incidents in Manchester which lead 
to the killing of a policeman and the events leading up to it and its resolution.

The talk was on the events in Manchester during the upheavals of the time arising from Irish persons engaged in the
Fenian Movement ” which had two very separate but interlinked loose organisations, from New York, USA, “The Fenian Brotherhood”
and from Dublin “The Irish Republican Brotherhood. These events lead to the killing of a Manchester policeman, upheavals in politics,
government and trials which lead to the death sentence for some persons.

Like all political events between two cultures there are always two stories written about the events, and Mr Alan Hayhurst gave a spirited
and illustrated talk about the events and showing the start, the events unfolding and the resulting trials, with their deadly outcomes.

Mamorial Print.

From the USA library of Congress record of prints, use acknowledged.
Print of “The Fenian martyrs of Ireland”
Digital ID: (digital file from original print) pga 01474 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pga.01474
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-pga-01474 (digital file from original print) LC-USZ62-31498 (b&w film copy neg.)
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

 

 


The policeman. Police Sergeant Charles Brett.

Sergeant Brett, an escort to prisoners in a prison van travelling inside the van with the keys, was shot and killed
as the attackers attempted to force the van open by blowing the lock. Sergeant Brett was the first Manchester City Police 
officer to be killed while on duty.

As recorded in the Police Roll of Honour Trust; Greater Manchester Police:
Quote
Manchester City Police
Sergeant Charles Brett
Died 18 September 1867, aged 51
Shot dead after refusing to give the keys of his prison van to gunmen.
Unquote

 

Memorial in church and broken gravestone.

 

 

Ex Manchester Orange Order website (c) 

 

 

Ex Manchester Orange Order website (c)

 

 

Guardian Report.

The Guardian gives a report on that killing and subsequent police killings in

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2012/sep/26/manchester-fenians-martyrs-prison-van-charles-brett

 

Trial.

An account and report with extracts from the original trial and prison records is given in

http://www.manchester-family-history-research.co.uk/new_page_17.htm

which is under the copyright of the author Gerard Lodge
(www.manchester-family-history-research.co.uk) 2007-2016

 

The "Two Sides" of history.


There are many articles written of these events as the political unrest of the day was reflected in reports, articles and books
published then and now in the USA, Republic of Ireland and some in the United Kingdom, albeit these events are lost to local memory in Manchester.